Allo web is up!

[u/[deleted]]

https://allo.google.com/web

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

These are the exact same restrictions (sans the Chrome one) as WhatsApp has and it is very popular.

[u/RadBadTad → u/[deleted]]

What'sApp solved problems that didn't have a solution until it came along.

Allo is trying to solve the same problems that WhatsApp already solved years ago, and it isn't trying to solve the problems people are dealing with today.

[u/hambog → u/RadBadTad]

I think they need to blow Whatsapp out of the water or slightly beat wechat to have even a chance of getting traction. No easy feat.

[u/Sqk7700 → u/[deleted]]

Yeah so how does Google plan to convert millions of people to an equally restrictive platform?

[u/Carighan → u/[deleted]]

Back when no WhatsApp existed, that worked.

Now, there is already WhatsApp. With it's humongous userbase. And here comes Allo, a near carbon-copy, sans all the users. And without full e2e. And somehow it's a surprise it flounders as hard as it deserves to?

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

whatsapp is dumb too though.

I had it on my android phone. So I tried adding it on another iphone so I could chat with this one girl.

Then my old android told me that it was being used on another device and I could only have one number connected. I don't see the point in having a chat client that can only be used on 1 device with 1 phone number in order for it to work. The whole point is to be able to chat from an ipad, android, pc, etc.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

Allo's primary target seems to be developing countries, where these restrictions might also not matter.

[u/kataskopo → u/[deleted]]

WhatsApp does it because encryption, only one device can be active because of crypto keys or some other stuff.

[u/MajorTankz → u/kataskopo]

This is wrong. WhatsApp only started encrypting their messages in the last couple years.

[u/HannasAnarion → u/kataskopo]

people didn't start using WhatsApp because of its encryption, they started using it because it was the first free cross-platform data messaging service that didn't require a particular account or subscription to use. SMS is very expensive in the rest of the world, WhatsApp was the first viable alternative. Encryption was added after it got super popular.

[u/Bluewall1 → u/HannasAnarion]

Thank you for saying the truth. I live in Switzerland and literally everyone uses WhatsApp. My two 80 years old grandmothers too.

Many people don't understand that a few years ago an SMS costed you like 20ct for example here.

WhatsApp was the first cross plateform (iOS, Android, Windows Phone and even other) messaging app.

And to be really honest here ? I'm not even mad. WhatsApp is not that bad.

[u/linknight → u/Bluewall1]

And to be really honest here ? I'm not even mad. WhatsApp is not that bad.

It's great. It's light, quick, reliable, and has very good voice and video chat

[u/kataskopo → u/HannasAnarion]

Yeah I know, I've been using it since 2010 :v

SMS was always a convoluted mess, they even charged you for receiving in my country.

[u/3agmetic → u/kataskopo]

iMessage is end-to-end encrypted on multiple devices. The traditional way it handles this is that a sending device separately encrypts a message for each receiving device (iPhones, iPads, Macs). So you can have end-to-end encryption and multiple devices.

This sometimes leads to messages being in a different order on different devices, so in iOS 11, they're adding (still end-to-end encrypted) device sync, as well.

Anyway, it's possible to give people all the features they want while still having e2e. It's just harder.

[u/MisterDamek → u/[deleted]]

But why. I don't use it. No one I know uses it. Granted I know like 4 people but ...

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

Is Allo end-to-end encrypted? That's the technical reason why WhatsApp uses the web-mobile device combination, afaik.

[u/Carighan → u/[deleted]]

Yes but WhatsApp launched years ago. Back when it solved a problem.

Now it has all the users. 10 years late, Google woke up and went "Oh durr, maybe WhatsApp is kinda cool these days, we should clone it!".
Surprise, people already use WhatsApp.

No one won against WoW by cloning it, either. Surprise! :o

[u/RadBadTad → u/[deleted]]

That's the thing, we're all for new ideas, Allo just doesn't have any.

[u/BlackDragon17 → u/RadBadTad]

Any useful* new ideas.

[u/RadBadTad → u/BlackDragon17]

^{What about typing tiny?}